


The Photograph

by choppyspace



Category: Avenue 5 (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-26
Updated: 2020-05-26
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:27:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24388921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choppyspace/pseuds/choppyspace
Summary: Ryan Clark returns to Avenue 5 10 years after returning back to earth - he finds a photograph in the rubble.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 5





	The Photograph

The Photograph:

It came to his attention that there was one last room he needed to see. 

Continuing with his search, Ryan found himself climbing several flights of stairs. Steps crumpled underfoot; he relied on the railing to stop himself from plummeting back onto the hard flooring. Stepping over debris, he arrived at a set of broken doors – ones which were jammed open and only left a sliver of room for him to get through. He felt a lump form in the back of his throat, but he shook his head and tried to push the sadness away. With added caution, he managed to manoeuvre himself through the gap, and into what had once been him his room for 8 long years. He flicked the light switch, enabling the broken lights to flicker and hum, without providing any substantial light. Narrowing his eyes, Ryan could make out a broad king-sized bed that stood on one side of the room – the headboard branded with hundreds of miniature Judd symbols. Ryan reminisced about how he’d lie there every night, and wonder what poor career choice had led him to end up stranded in space with a ship-load of raging passengers. Snapping back to the present, he observed the other side of the room, which presented itself as a sitting area, including a large sofa and plasma TV accompanied by a round table and chairs. A tattered and stained rug had been spread out across the floor, possibly in an attempt to conceal the indentations underneath. Above the worn-down sofa, shelves had caved inwards, dispersing their contents onto the already submerged floor. Plaster had cracked and splintered, revealing an abundance of mould which was already in the process of spreading through the walls. The infamous Judd logo seemed to be stamped onto every available surface. The room was perched at an angle, tilted slightly, explaining the build-up of trash in the furthest corner. Photo frames hung haphazardly on the walls, cobwebs weaved throughout the displaced furniture. Ryan knelt down on the floor, carefully examining the rubble which he presumed to be the decorations from his shelves and desk, from before the ship was eventually discarded upon returning to earth. As he rifled through an entire decades’ worth of garbage, his left hand picked out an empty bottle of beer, sparking memories of his alcoholic tendencies once the trip had morphed into one huge scale disaster – one thing going wrong after another, in quick succession. His right hand, however, connected with a larger object. In pure shock, he turned the item over in his hand, revealing a photo frame encrusted with grime. He stood up shakily, still clutching the photo frame, but let the empty bottle hit the floor with a thud.

Crossing the room eagerly, he sank down on the bed; impatiently wiping the photo frame with his sleeve. When that had no results, he found himself unbuckling the back of the frame, and sliding the photograph out onto his lap. As his eyes registered what he was seeing, a warm smile spread across his face. The picture consisted of 6 familiar faces – Karen Kelly appeared on the right side of the photo, arms crossed, yet giving a smug smile. It only felt right that she should appear in the crew photo, after she had essentially taken over Matt’s job. She wore a neat pink, floral blouse and smart grey trousers – both colour coordinated. Her dark copper coloured hair was parted at the left side of her head, and flipped over to form a fringe that drooped over her right eye. Moving along the line to the left, Billie McEvoy stood awkwardly, holding her own hands whilst trying to look unbothered. She almost completely opposed Karen, her navy coloured overalls were smudged with dirt and grease. Her chocolate brown afro framed her face, accentuating the way her lips curled up into a smile. Matt Spencer loomed over the top of the pair, grinning madly and giving a thumbs up. As usual, his hair stuck out at all angles, his shirt tucked in scruffily, his grey blazer falling short at his wrists. Then, Ryan was confronted with his own face staring back at him. In-photo-Captain Ryan Clark was smiling and saluting at the camera, whilst Herman Judd hugged his side and beamed at him. Judd’s other arm looped around Iris Kimura’s waist; the Captain’s hat propped unevenly on his bleached blonde hair. Ryan chuckled as he tried to work out who was more uncomfortable, him or Iris, who was standing the other side of Judd; her back ramrod straight and hands fiddling with her ponytail. She wore a lavender shirt, with a knee-length straight black skirt. The photo had been taken at the bar, the background consisted of a glass window facing out to the blanket of space beyond; speckled with millions of stars and constellations. Balloons and vibrant lights were strung from the ceiling, the paper fillers of party poppers draped over the group’s heads and shoulders. Although the camera’s flash had clearly blinded them all, eyes squinted against the harsh light, they were all happy, and Ryan felt a wave of affection flood through him. Tears glistened in his eyes, as he folded the picture up neatly and tucked it into his coat pocket.

Trembling as he stood up, he ambled over to the door. He reached out, flicked the light switch, left the room, and didn’t look back.


End file.
